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Ornithological Observations http://oo.adu.org.za An electronic journal published by the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town and BirdLife South Africa Ornithological Observations accepts papers containing faunistic information about birds. This includes descriptions of distribution, behaviour, breeding, foraging, food, movement, measurements, habitat and plumage. It will also consider for publication a variety of other interesting or relevant ornithological material: reports of projects and conferences, annotated checklists for a site or region, specialist bibliographies, and any other interesting or relevant material. Editor: Arnold van der Westhuizen CHORISTER ROBIN-CHAT COSSYPHA DICHROA GLEANING ON BUSHBUCK TRAGELAPHUS SCRIPTUS Craig T Symes, Theresa Rees and Karin Nelson Recommended citation format: Symes CT, Rees T, Nelson K 2015. Chorister Robin-Chat Cossypha dichroa gleaning on Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus. Ornithological Observations, Vol 6: 44-45 URL: http://oo.adu.org.za/content.php?id=174 Published online: 07 March 2015 - ISSN 2219-0341 - Ornithological Observations, Vol 6: 44-45 44 CHORISTER ROBIN-CHAT COSSYPHA DICHROA GLEANING ON BUSHBUCK TRAGELAPHUS SCRIPTUS Craig T Symes*1, Theresa Rees2 and Karin Nelson3 1 School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa 2 40 Budleigh Road, Hilton, South Africa 3 12 Sakabula Drive, Merrivale, Howick 3291, South Africa * Corresponding author: [email protected] A review of African birds feeding in association with mammals, by Fig 1 - Screen-shots of the film footage of a Chorister Robin-Chat visiting a Dean and MacDonald (1981), comprehensively documents a number Bushbuck. See footage on YouTube at http://youtu.be/D87WA5zb-9A of mammal and bird-feeding interactions. They report on the (Uploaded 4 November 2014). association of Brown Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas signata, Red-capped Robin-Chat Cossypha natalensis, and Chorister Robin-Chat C. In this note we report on two additional observations of interactions dichroa feeding on insects flushed by foraging mole-rats Cryptomys between Chorister Robin-Chat and Bushbuck. spp. in KwaZulu-Natal (Oatley 1970), and the association of Red- capped Robin-Chat with Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus, Blue Duiker 1. On Friday, 15 March 2013, at 05:38, a video recording was made Cephalophus monticola, and cattle in forest (Oatley 1970). Terry using a camera trap at Winterskloof, Hilton, 10 km north of Oatley recorded, "In the Natal midlands forest I once watched a Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, in a section of mistbelt forest. The Chorister Robin picking ticks from a Bushbuck ram" (Oatley 1959), 15 second snippet records a Chorister Robin-Chat flying directly onto while in Hluhluwe Game Reserve, "the Chorister Robin has been the forehead of a female Bushbuck. It perches there for observed gleaning ectoparasites from the mane of a Nyala" (IAWM in approximately 3 seconds, where it probes the right ear twice. The Dean and MacDonald 1981). In addition, Skead (1997, p. 1159) Bushbuck nods its head and the Robin-Chat hops onto the shoulders notes; "Mr LG Bagshawe-Smith (pers. comm. 1978), watched one of the Bushbuck, where it perches for approximately 7 seconds; here pick ticks off a Bushbuck ewe", and Vernon and Dean (1988) report the Bushbuck seems unperturbed. In the last section of the clip on a Chorister Robin-Chat that hover-gleaned a tick from the tail of a (where the recording is cut short) it appears as if the Robin-Chat cow on 1 August 1986 at Kambi Forest near Umtata in the former again flies onto the head of the Bushbuck (Fig 1). Transkei. 2. On 19 July 2014, at Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, in Howick - ISSN 2219-0341 - Ornithological Observations, Vol 6: 44-45 45 near Pietermaritzburg, Mike Spain was conducting a bird walk and References encountered a Bushbuck with a Chorister Robin-Chat perched on its back (K Nelson pers. comm. with M Spain, 2014). The bird did not Dean WRJ, MacDonald IAW 1981. A review of African birds feeding glean from the Bushbuck but rather appeared to use the buck as a in association with mammals. Ostrich 52: 135-155. beater, waiting for it to disturb something edible when it would fly down and then back on to the buck; this it did at least twice Oatley T 1959. Notes on the genus Cossypha with particular (K Nelson pers. comm. with M Spain, 2014). Unfortunately no one in reference to C. natalensis Smith and C. dichroa (Gmelin). Ostrich the group had a camera so details of the event were not recorded in 30(S1): 426-434. detail. Oatley TB 1970. Observations on the food and feeding habits of Bringing together these observations suggests that the association, some African robins (Aves: Turdinae). Ann. Natal Mus. 20: 293-327. in particular, of these two species, may be more common than previously acknowledged, where Chorister Robin-Chats glean from Skead CJ 1997. Life history notes on East Cape bird species – Bird Bushbuck as well as use them as "beaters". Indeed, the manner in biology Vol 2. 1940-1990. (design editor: JH Landman), Western which the Bushbuck appears comfortable with the Chorister Robin- District Council (Formerly Algoa Regional Services Council), Port Chat visitor may even suggest that resident animals may have an Elizabeth. "understanding", or possibly the recognition of "cleaning stations" for animals. Vernon, C, Dean WRJ 1988. Further African bird-mammal feeding associations. Ostrich 59(1): 38-39. - - - - - - - - - - Acknowledgements Terry Oatley is thanked for comments on the article and for noting that he has made no subsequent observations, since those we report here, of Chorister Robin-Chats and mammals interacting. However, for much of this time he has lived outside the range of the Chorister Robin-Chat. - ISSN 2219-0341 - .